Gazpacho-Style Raw Tomato Soup

Other Xerophagy Published April 11, 2026

Traditional Spanish gazpacho contains olive oil and bread. This xerophagy version strips it back to its raw essence: tomatoes, cucumber, pepper, garlic, and lemon, blended into a cold soup that requires nothing but a blender. No oil. No cooking. No wine vinegar (use lemon juice instead, since wine products are prohibited). What you get is a bright, acidic, deeply flavored soup that is closer to drinking a salad than eating one.

Serve this as a first course or light meal on xerophagy days during the warmer months. It is especially welcome during the Dormition Fast in August.

FASTING LEVEL: Xerophagy (the strictest level — no cooked food, no oil, no wine)
SERVINGS: 2
TIME: 10 minutes

INGREDIENTS

- 5 medium very ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 1 cucumber, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 red or green bell pepper, seeded and roughly chopped
- 1 clove garlic
- Juice of 1 lemon (replaces the traditional sherry vinegar — no wine products during xerophagy)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- Cold water, as needed (2-4 tablespoons)
- Fresh herbs for garnish: basil, parsley, or dill

METHOD

1. Place the tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, and garlic in a blender.

2. Add the lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Blend on high until smooth. If the mixture is too thick, add cold water a tablespoon at a time until it reaches a pourable soup consistency.

3. Taste and adjust seasoning. It should be bright and well-salted — under-seasoned raw soup tastes like watered-down vegetables.

4. Pour into bowls. Garnish with fresh herbs and a few small dice of cucumber or pepper for texture if desired.

5. Serve immediately, or refrigerate for up to 24 hours (the flavor improves after an hour of chilling).

NOTES

- The tomatoes must be ripe. Unripe tomatoes will give you a sour, thin, and unpleasant soup. In winter, use the best canned whole tomatoes you can find (San Marzano style) — canned tomatoes were cooked during processing, so strict interpretations might exclude them. Use fresh if possible.
- No bread is blended into this version (traditional gazpacho includes soaked stale bread). Serve bread on the side instead.
- Wine vinegar, sherry vinegar, and balsamic vinegar are all derived from wine and are excluded during xerophagy. Lemon juice is the correct substitute.
- Best during the Dormition Fast (August 1-14) and the later weeks of Great Lent when tomatoes may be coming into season depending on your climate.